Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1887-06-18
Christ Stilleth the Tempest on Lake Cali
lee When the Ship Was in
Danger.
The Lesson Drawn From This Incident to
Be Applied to the Christian
Life.
Good People Become Affrighted, but Christ
Can Rescue Them.
THE WINDS oBEYED HIM.

the IaUerndcle lHlS InoIHihS IL 5cihioh
entitled 1.-The Tempest" Service be-
gan with the exposition of appropriate
passages of Scripture, after which the
great congregation sang the hymn:
''Heaven is ray fatherland,
Heaven is 10Y home"
The text was Mark 4: 36-39. describ-
ing Christ stilling the tempest. He
said:
Tiberias, Gallilee, Gennesaret-three
names for the same lake. No other
gem ever had so beautiful a setting. 1t
lay in a scene of great luxuriance: the
surrounding hills high, terraced,
sloped, groyed, SO many hanging gar
dens of beauty, the waters tumbling
down between rocks of gray and red
limestone, flashing from the hills and
bounding into the sea. On the shore
were castles, armed towers, Roman
baths, everything attractive and beau
tiful; all styles of vegetation IN shorter
space than in almost any other space
in all the world, from the palm tree of
the forest to the trees of rigorous CHI
mate.
1t seemed as if the Lord had launched
one wave of beauty on all the scene,
and it hung and swung from rock and
hill and oleander. Roman gentlemen
in pleasure boats sailing the lake, and
countrymen in fish-smacks coming
down to drop their NETS pass each
other with nod and shout, and laugh
ter, or swinging idly at their moorings.
0, what a wonderful, what n beautiful
lake!
THE STORM.
II seems rs if we shall, have a quiet
night. Not Il leaf winked in the air
not a ripple disturbed the face of Gen
nesaret; but there seems to be n little
excitement up the beach, and we haster
to see what it is, and we find it an EN-
barkation.
From the western shore n ilotilli
pushes out; not a squadron, or deadl,
armament. nor clipper with valuabl
merchandise, nor pirate vessels read,
to destroy everything they could seize
but a flotilla, bearing messengers o
life, and light, and peace. Christ is i
the front OF the boat. His disciples ar
in a smaller boat. Jesus, wear wit
much speaking to large multitudes,
put into somnolence by the rocking G
the waves. If there was any motion q
all the ship was easily righted; if tn
wind passed from starboard to lal
board, or from larboard to starboarc
the boat would rock, and by the gentle
ness Of the motion putting the Maste
asleep. And they extemporized a pi
ow made out of Il fishorman's coat.
think no sooner is Christ PROSTATE
and his head touched the pillow, tha
He is sound asleep. The breezes {
the lake run their fingers through tn
locks of the worn sleeper, and the boa
rises and tails like a sleeping child @
the bosom of a sleeping mother.
Calm night, starry night. beautiful
night. Run up all the sails, ply a.
the oars, and let the large boat an
small boat glide over gentle Gennsaret
But the sailors say there is going to b
n change of weather. And even tn
passengers can hear the moaning o
the storm, as it comes on with grea
stride, and all the terrors of hurrican'
and darkness. The large boat tremble
like q deer at bay among the clango,
of the hounds; great patches of foam
are flung into the air; the sails of The
vessel loosen. and the sharp winds
crack like pistols; the smaller boats
like petrels poise on the cliff of the
waves and then plunge.
Fl WINDS oBEYED HIM.
Overheard 90 cargo, tackling and
masts, and the drenched disciples rush
into the back part of the boat, and lay
hold of Christ, and say unto Him;
"Master, carest Thou not that we per-
ism! mat great parsonage Illus Ills
head from the pillow of the iisherman's
coat, walks to the front of the vessel,
and looks out into the storm. All
around Him are the smaller boats,
driven in The tempest, and through it
comes the cry of drowning men. BY
the flash of the lightning | see the calm
brow of Christ as the spray dropped
from his beard. He has one word for
the sky and another for the waves.
Looking upward He cries: "Peace!'
Looking downward He says: ''Be
Still"
The waves fall fiat on their faces,
the foam melts, the extinguished stars
re-iight their torches. The tempest
falls dead, and Christ stands with his
feet on the neck of the storm. And
while the sailors are bailing out the
boats, and while they are trying to un-
tangle the cordage, the disciples stand
in amazement, now looking into the
calm sea, then into the calm sky, then
into the calm Saviour's c~ountenance,